Storm Hawks? Meet Lion King
by BriTalRish
Summary: What am I thinking? I don't know. Read it and maybe you can tell me, cause I sure as heck don't know what I'm doing. Maybe I need counseling...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, this is a Storm Hawks/Lion King crossover. Oh, come on. It was practically begging for me to write it! Dark-haired villain murders father of red-headed hero? Please. Just please. No, this is not the first chapter, but don't get your panites in a bunch just yet. Here, I am merely telling you who is playing who, so there is no confusion later on. Alright? Okay... so, we have...**

**Simba/Aerrow - Shouldn't have to explain this one.**

**Scar/Dark Ace - Same as above.**

**Mufasa/Leon(Aerrow's Father) - Well, yeah. Leon is 'leo' with an 'n' at the end, which most of you should know means 'lion'. And from the five seconds we see of him in the opening, Aerrow's dad looks like a Leon.**

**Nala/Piper - She fits the part pretty damn well! The hero's best friend, with the ability to dish out some major ass-kicking? Yeah.**

**Timon/Finn - Squirrely, lazy, and quick of tongue? Yep. Guess you know who comes next then, right?**

**Pumbaa/Junko - No I am not insulting Junko by giving him this part, I love Pumbaa! He's the best! And really, who else could he be? **

**Zazu/Stork - They're both birds... well, Stork has the name of one at least. And they're both paranoid! It fits!**

**Sarabi/Starling - Aerrow's mother, and Queen of Pride Rock. Yeah... it fits.**

**Sarafina/Dove - Yeah... I don't mean to insult Dove, but I just really couldn't think o anyone else who could play this part. **

**Rafiki/Arygyn - There is no other character who could do this part justice.**

**Banzai/Carver - Banzai is the one male hyena who isn't always laughing his brains out like an idiot, and he's a villian. I was debating on whether Carver should be Scar or not, but Dark Ace just fit the part better.**

**Shenzi/Ravess - Only female hyena. Only female Cyclonian Commander, other than the master herself. But I'm not sure Master Cyclonis would appreciate me making her the Dark Ace's minion...**

**Ed/Snipe - I think we can all agree Snipe would be cooler if he just didn't talk.**

**And well, she may only appear for a few paragraphs, if any... but...**

**Zira/Master Cyclonis - Eh... Ravess was taken. **

**So, look forward to this, because I sure as hell am. 'Till chapter one, my readers. Hakuna mattata.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright, ready for the first chapter? No? Too bad, because here it is.**

**Alright, don't even try to pronounce the Swahili words, and don't waste your energy trying to translate them. Just read the chapter, and I'll have the Swahili translations waiting for you at the bottom. Now, it adds to the overall wonder of the chapter if you listen to the song while reading, so before you start, go to youtube and get 'The Circle of Life' going nice and loud. Do it. Now. **

**You got it? Good. Now you can read.**

**By the way, I own nothing. If I owned something, then I wouldn't be writing about it, unless I was writing a book. WHich I'm not. Aergo, I own nothing.**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Circle of Life**

_Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba  
Sithi uhm ingonyama_

The flaming sun peeked up over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. The once-dark sky continued to brighten as the sun rose higher and higher, encasing the entire savannah in its golden embrace. Nothing the creatures that called that savannah home hadn't seen before, but nonetheless this day would still prove to be unique.

_Nants ingonyama bagithi baba  
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama  
Ingonyama_

A call, proud and strong, resonated in the air. Creatures big and small awoke, raised their heads, and listened. The sun continued to creep its way up into the sky, while down on earth the world began to awaken.

_Siyo Nqoba  
Ingonyama  
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala_

From within the fields, rhinos, cheetahs, and meerkats shifted through the tall grass. Herds of gazelle leaped their way through mist-filled valleys that had not yet received the sun's light. Down by the rivers, tall storks ceased in their foraging, looked amongst themselves, and ascended into the sky, joining the many families of birds that already flocked there.

All were headed to one place.

_From the day we arrive on the planet  
and blinking, step into the sun_

Two giraffes, a mother and child, walked side by side, their forms shadowed in the shade of a single cloud that blocked the sun's light. When the cloud passed, the young giraffe turned its head to protect its undeveloped eyes from the returning sun. The mother giraffe nudged her young one forward, and together they began their trek down to join the growing herd of creatures that traveled as one through the fields.

_There's more to see than can ever be seen  
More to do than can ever be done_

Herds of zebra, all uniform in pelt patterns, trotted at the head of the group, gaining speed as the call sounded again. Wildebeest, gazelle and water buffalo were among the other quadrupeds that lagged behind them, while birds of all color and size flittered about their heads.

_There's far too much to take in here  
more to find than can ever be found_

The back of the pack consisted of lumbering elephants. Patient creatures, they allowed birds to rest on their long tusks, and they didn't flinch when grounded birds leaped around beneath their feet. They walked right through the rivers that ran below them, the waters not even coming close to their chests. Up in front, the smaller quadrupeds splashed and sprayed, the water flying off in waves around them.

_But the sun rolling high  
through the sapphire sky  
keeps great and small on the endless round_

One last time the call sounded, stronger and louder than ever. The creatures of the savannah were running now, nearly stampeding, rushing forward into a large, lush valley. Hundreds of animals were already gathered, all standing or seated in trees, depending on the creature. At the back of the valley stood a tall, impressive rock structure, known to all the animals as the castle in which their king resided. The thing consisted of many large stones that created a solid foundation, and two long, flat stones created almost a 'V' shape. One jutted straight up, while the other stuck out into the air, creating a platform from which one could look upon the horizon and see absolutely everything.

_It's the Circle of Life!  
And it moves us all!_

Up in the sky, which was now a soft and light blue, a single bird approached the structure with great speed. It flew on proudly past the great herd of creatures down in the valley, and came straight up to the grand thing, known throughout the land as Aurora Rock. The bird's sharp yellow eyes were fixated upon something on the platform rock, and with a smile on it's beak it descended down to land at the feet of a large lion.

_Through despair and hope  
through faith and love_

The bird, green with black and yellow-tipped wings, spread its wings out, something akin to a bow, and looked up at the lion with respect shining in its eyes. The lion, a strong male with a long, flowing, fiery red mane and kind eyes, smiled and nodded his acknowledgement.

_Till we find our place  
on the path unwinding_

Down below, the herd was parting, making way for something of apparently great importance. A quirky-looking old mandrill, one that required the aid of a walking stick (a walking stick decorated with colorative, clacking fruits no less), was making his way up through the crowd. The lion smiled as he watched the monkey's climb up the rocks, and when he had both feet planted firmly on the platform rock, the two embraced like old friends. A small noise from came room behind them, and both pairs of eyes turned to look toward the back of the rock, one alight with proud, while the other pair shone with curiosity.

_In the Circle,  
the Circle of Life..._

A large cave sat at the end of the platform rock, and gathered around the mouth was the rest of the lion's pride. The red-maned male's smile grew larger, and he trotted over to a beautiful young lioness that lay in front of the others. He gave her an affectionate nuzzle, one that the lioness eagerly returned before leaning down to lick the furry bundle that lay between her front paws. The bundle moved, and with a small purr revealed itself to be a small male cub.

The cub's spotted fur was the same shade of gold as his father's, and his eyes shone the same brilliant green. His parents looked down upon him with pride shining clearly in their eyes. The mandrill came up to stare at the cub, with joy shining in his. He took his stick in one hand, and shook it almost teasingly in front of the cub's face. His green eyes fixed on the large fruits that shook and clacked before him, and brought his small paws up to bat at them playfully.

A small smile graced the monkey's face as he removed one of the fruits from his stick, broke it in half, and dipped his thumb into the pulpy juice that swirled inside. He fixed his gaze back on the cub, and drew a thick red stripe on the cub's forehead. He then sprinkled a handful of sand over the marking, causing the cub to let out a small sneeze. The sound led to the cub's parents to nuzzle a second time, and though concern showed on the lioness' face when the monkey removed the cub from between her paws, the he made to satisfy her by making a small show of propping up the cub's tiny behind with his other hand, an amused smile on his face.

Cub in hand, the mandrill made his way to the end of the rock, he cub's parent's watching with pride. The herd of creatures below them was still, and the monkey stared out into the sea of animals for a moment, before taking the cub and lifting him high above his head.

The entire valley was flooded with cheers.

_It's the Circle of Life  
and it moves us all_

The great herd erupted into applause, no animal present was silent. The zebras brayed and clacked their hooves against the ground, the monkeys chattered, birds sang and elephants trumpeted. Those who did not have the ability to speak reared and tossed their heads, trying to show their joy by making as big a show as possible.

_Through despair and hope  
through faith and love_

The cub stared down at the crowd with... not really confusion but not true indifference either. His green eyes just stared, the red line showing proudly on his forehead. His parents were practically aglow with joy, and the rest of the pride looked on with equal happiness shining in their eyes.

_Till we find our place  
on the path unwinding_

Maybe it was fate, maybe it was the gods, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but at that very second, a cloud moved from over the sun, and a ray of light shined down upon him, the warmth of the new sunlight making him squirm and purr. The creatures down below began to go down on their knees, bowing before the young cub. Bowing before their future king.

If there had been outside spectators present during the ceremony, they would have told you it was the most picturesque thing they had ever had the pleasure of seeing, that everything was perfect. They would have said everyone was happy, overjoyed even. Well... they would be wrong.

_In the Circle  
the Circle of Life!_

Not everyone was happy with the young prince's birth.

* * *

A little grey mouse sniffed about the cold cave floor, pausing every now and then to clean it's whiskers. It scampered past a little rock, cleaned it's ears once, then stopped. It sniffed at the air, chose to dart away a second too late, for a large, dark paw slammed down upon it before it had a chance to escape.

The paw, big and brown, pulled up from the stone floor, holding the unfortunate mouse's tail between two claws. The mouse was brought up before the face of the paw's owner, a black-maned ragged lion with deep red eyes. Those eyes regarded the twitching little morsel with something that could be seen as almost sympathy.

"Life's not fair, is it? You see I, well I, shall never be king. And you..." The dark lion let the mouse run along his paw, never letting it jump away, chuckling and eyeing it with amusement. He toyed with the mouse, letting it leap from his paw, only to snatch it right back out o the air and bring it back up to his face. "...Shall never see the light of another day. Adieu."

The dark lion gave a dark chuckle before opening his mouth, and dangling the poor mouse over his extended tongue.

"Didn't you're mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"

The male's eyes snapped open, and he turned to glare at the thing that had the nerve to spoil his fun. It was the same bird that had bowed at the king's feet earlier at the ceremony. His green feathers were ruffled in annoyance, and his yellow eyes glared out from beneath a mop of messy black feathers that sat atop his head. The lion lowered his paw back to the ground, the mouse's tail still securely held beneath it, and sighed.

"What do you want?"

The bird glared for a second longer, then shrugged and bowed, a small smirk present on his beak.

"I'm here to announce, that King Leon is on his way," the bird looked up from between the silky black feathers, and resumed his glaring. "So you'd better have a good excuse for missing the ceremony this morning."

The dark lion was too busy trying to ignore the small bird, that his hold on the mouse loosened just enough for the desperate creature to leap away, and scurry back to his crevice in the wall. The lion watched him go with a small frown on his face.

"Oh now look Stork, you've made me loose my lunch."

"Hah! That mouse was probably infested with mites! If you'd eaten it you'd have gotten sick, though I'd be happy to let that happen anyway... you should be thanking me! Besides, you're lunch won't be the only thing you've lost once the king get's through with you. He's as mad as a hippo with a hernia!"

"Ooh, I quiver with _fear!" _The dark lion accentuated his last word with a spine-tingling hiss, and he leaned in close, eyeing the bird with a mischievous spark in his red eyes.

"Now, Ace, don't look at me that way..." Stork gulped and moved to back away, but before he had taken even two steps, the lion lunged. With a horrified cry of 'Help!', Stork disappeared into the lion's unforgiving jaws.

"Ace!"

"Mm-hm-mm?"

Ace, his mouth full, turned back to see his least favorite lion in the world. Leon, the king of the Atmos, and also his older brother.

"Drop him."

Stork's beak popped out from between Ace's lips, a both hilarious yet slightly disgusting sight. "Impeccable timing, your Majesty."

With a shrug, Ace leaned over and spat the saliva-covered Stork out onto the ground. The twitchy bird's face scrunched up in disgust, and he shook his body violently, trying to get the foul substance out of his feathers. The two lions above him stared at each other, one with annoyance and the other with humor.

"Why, if it isn't my big brother, descending from on high to mingle with the commoners!" Ace tossed his head and snorted, and then moved back to the cave's far wall as Leon glared daggers at him.

"Starling and I didn't see you at the presentation of Aerrow."

"Was that today?" Ace put on a look of mock surprise so obviously fake that Leon uttered a small growl, which was blatantly ignored.

"Well, brother _dearest..." _Ace unsheathed his claws, and dragged them down the cold rock wall, creating a shrill, ear-ringing sound that made Stork cringe. Leon didn't flinch; he merely continued to stare as his brother indifferently observed his newly-sharpened claws.

"It must've slipped my mind. Do hope you'll forgive me."

"Well as slippery as your mind is," Stork shook his head and flew right up to Ace's face. "As the king's brother you should have been _first _in line!" Ace, unfazed, smirked and snapped at the air before Stork's face, effectively sending the cowardly bird back to the shelter of Leon's legs.

"I was first in line, featherbrain. But now I'm not, thanks to that little hairball."

Leon appeared unconcerned, but was seething on the inside. He leaned in close to his brother's frowning face, and barely managed to keep the snarl out of his voice.

"That hairball is my son, and your future king."

"Oh, I shall practice my curtsy."

Ace's eyes were alight with sarcastic fire as he turned away from the king, and began to saunter away, an act that pushed Leon very close to the edge.

"Don't turn your back on me, Ace!"

The dark male paused mid-stride, his right paw still hanging in the air. He regarded his brother with well-hidden hatred for no more than a moment, then decided to try his luck with a small snarl.

"I don't think you've got it right, Leon. Maybe _you _shouldn't turn your back on _me._"

That did it. Instinct screamed in Leon's skull, telling him there was a hidden meaning beneath Ace's words. It ordered the red-maned male to put the disrespecting loner back in his place; cowering before his superior and begging for forgiveness. He was happy to comply. With a snarl, he lunged forward, halting Ace in his tracks.

"Is that a challenge?!"

"Please, Leon, remember your blood pressure. Wouldn't want anything _bad _to happen, now would we? Besides, I wouldn't dream of challenging you again."

Outwardly, Ace seemed unfazed and indifferent. Inwardly, he shivered as he remembered the last time he had challenged his brother for the dominance. It had not ended well for either of them.

Ace had managed to rip Leon's right foreleg open to the bone, and it had taken months for Leon to be able to walk proudly again, that is, with no demeaning limp in his stride. That blow alone would have made Ace the victor, if it hadn't been for a blind swipe that had caught Ace right in the face, His eye was unharmed, but the blood temporarily blinded him, and the pain was enough to make any male quit.

Both lions stil bore the scars of that scrap, neither wanted to go through it again.

"Too bad... that would be an interesting way to spend the afternoon. Why not?"

Ace snapped out of his reverie and leaned down to snarl at the annoying bird that had re-appeared between Leon's legs.

"Because I'm no fool. We're both strong enough to take down elephants single-handedly, but that's where our equality ends. I've got the brains in the family, but it doesn't matter." He came back up to glare at his brother for a moment more, then heaved a sigh and stepped past him, his head down and his tail lowered.

"Pure dumb luck is something I unfortunately seem to lack."

The dark lion feigned mock sadness as he turned looked at the pair from over his bony shoulder, then hopped of the rock and retreated to his den. Stork watched him go, before sighing and rolling his eyes.

"There's one in every family, sire. Two in mine actually... and they always manage to ruin special occasions. And spread disease. Must be something in their disposition that germs can't get enough of."

"What am I going to do with him?" Stork flew up to perch on Leon's shoulder, stared at the lion for a moment, then smiled as a very pleasing thought entered his head.

"He'd make a very handsome throw rug."

"Stork!"

"And just think, whenever he get's dirty you could take him out and beat him. Wouldn't want anything nasty hiding in him, right?" Leon laughed as he made his way back to the pride's sleeping quarters. He was tired from the long day, and though he was in a better mood thanks to his advisor's little suggestion, he really just wanted to his two favorite creatures in the world. His beautiful mate and his handsome, newly christened heir.

* * *

Later on in the night, when the other creatures were all sleeping, Arygyn the savannah shaman was still wide awake. While a thunderstorm raged on outside, he sang quietly to himself as he worked vigorously on a small painting.

In his tree, there were a number of large branches he had already filled with pictures of past rulers and events. Broken fruits were tossed haphazardly about the place, and a number of small bowls filled with different colored paints sat at the monkey's feet.

One of the bowls, one containing a color that glowed almost silver in the dark of the night, was picked up and held in the mandrill's hand as he surveyed his work. A small, featureless portrait of the young prince, still wet and shining, sat in the very center of the large branch.

Arygyn laughed quietly to himself as he dipped the thumb of one hand into the paint, then swept the silver digit over the painting's forehead.

"Aerrow..."

The monkey laughed again as he wiped the remaining paint off onto his fur, and with one last look at the painting, settled himself down for the night.

The thunderstorm continued on, echoing in the chill of the night air, perhaps foreshadowing the beginning of a chain of drastic events that would surely have the potential to change lives.

Perhaps.

_You never know._

_Whatever you think, you can't really believe that things will stay the same now, can you? After all, an heir has appeared. A new first-in-line, should the king have any unfortunate accidents. Now... can you think of anyone that this might cause problems for? No? Well don't worry._

_You'll find out soon enough._

* * *

**Translation:**

_**Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba**__ - Here comes a lion, Father_

_**Sithi uhm ingonyama**__ - Oh yes, it's a lion_

_**ingonyama **__- A lion_

_**Siyo Nqoba**__ - We're going to conquer_

_**Ingonyama nengw' enamabala**__ - A lion and a leopard come to this open place_

**Okay, now you go and hit that little button that says 'review'. Do it, or I'll send the hyenas after you.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey! No, wait! Stop! Don't shoot me! I have a perfectly good excuse- er, I mean _reason _as to why I've been neglecting my updating duties!**

**I know it's a lame excuse, but I've just had a lot of stuff to do and a very little amount of time to do it in. So, without further delay, as I know you'd all kill me if I continued annoying you much longer, I present Chapter 2. **

* * *

**Chapter Two: **

The savannah sky shone in a dull purple; small, twinkling stars struggled to keep their shine alive as the sun began it's steady trek above the horizon. The air was filled with a calm quiet, only a small chorus of chriping crickets drifted in the cool breeze.

Many of the creatures that called the savannah home were still enjoying peaceful slumber... that is, aside from one.

On Aurora Rock, the gentle thump of soft paws trotting along smooth stone was nearly inaudible, but definitely there. A young lion cub, male, looked out at the rest of the world from beneath a small patch of wild red fur, excitement sparkling in his shining green eyes. His soft, golden paws kneaded the edge of the rock and his tail, ending in a tuft of fur the same shade of red that colored his noggin, flicked about behind him.

Without warning, the cub charged back down the rock, and into a cave filled with very large, very sleepy, older lions. He worked his way through the mass of fur, muscle, and teeth, occasionally letting out a yelp when he managed to run into and awaken a sleeping lioness.

"Dad? Dad! Come on Dad, wake up! We gotta go! ...oops, sorry!"

After offering a sheepish grin to the annoyed lioness he had just distubed, the cub jumped up onto a platform upon which two lions, one male and one female, were snoring peacefully together. The young male pounced on the male, whose face was hidden beneath a ragged mop of fiery red fur, and began tugging at his ear. The lioness, a sleek and beautfiul lioness, chuckled from beside him.

"You're son is awake, Leon." The male let loose a long sigh, trying to block out his son's consistent chattering in his poor ear, and grumbled out from beneath his mane.

"Before sunrise, he's your son."

The cub growled after his many shouts had failed to awaken his lazy father, and resumed tugging on his ear. One tug, however, was a bit too hard, and the cub lost his balance and fell back onto the cave floor below. Undeterred, the cub leaped back up and headbutted his father, which finally succeeded in waking him up. With a snort and a moan, Leon brought up his head to regard his irritated son, whose small frown seemed almost comical.

"Come on slowpoke, you promised!"

"Alright. I'm up, I'm up. Keep your mane on."

"Meet you outside!"

Leon let loose a huge yawn, every one of his pearly whites on display, as his hyperactive son bounded out of the cave.

"Starling, where does the morning energy come from? Your side of the family?"

The lioness with pine green eyes chuckled and rose, giving her mate an affectionate nuzzle. "No, that would be yours."

A small rumble, the closest to a purr that a lion could make, emanated from Leon's throat, and he returned Starling's nuzzle with a quick lick to her cheek, before getting to his feet and following after his son.

Out side, the sun was beginning to peek up into the sky, and the young cub enjoyed the feeling of the warmth in his fur. His parents, walking side by side, emerged from the cave and paused for a moment to stretch the sleepiness from their legs. The young cub bounded over to his mother and rubbed up against her, purring. Starling smiled, returned the nuzzle, then sent him back to his father's heels.

As the two males ascended Aurora Rock together, the pale liones looked on with pride glowing in her eyes. She stretched one last time, then turned back into the cave to organize the hunting parties for the day.

On Aurora Rock, a lesson began.

"See, Aerrow? Everything the light embraces, is under our protection."

Father and son sat together at the edge of the rock, gazing down at the savannah below. The sun was doing it's job well this morning; the entire landscape was bathed in golden brilliance. Aerrow took it all in with awe, fascination, and a small amount of pride.

"Wow..."

Leon, having seen the sunrise every morning, saw it as inspiring, rather than amazing. Everyday he would look down on his kingdom, the beauty and value of it all clear in his mind, and simply sit there smiling. Now, he shared it with his son, and couldn't help but feel... tense. The near-tussle with Ace the day before set him on edge, and sleep did nothing to help. The male could tell that his brother was hding something, but just what he wasn't quite sure of.

"A king's time as ruler, rises and falls with the sun. One day, the sun will set on my time."

Aerrow narrowed his eyes and turned to stare at his father. What was he talking about? Leon was king, he always had been... so far as Aerrow was concerned. The cub couldn't imagine his father ever _not _be in charge. His father must have sensed his confusion, for the king turned to his son with an encouraging smile on his face.

"And when that day comes, the next sunrise will signal your time as the new king."

Aerrow cocked his head and turned back to once again stare out at the land before him. One day, he would be king. _King. _And when that day came, the whole kingdom would be his. Every creature, every tree, every damn piece of grass. His.

The thought excited him.

"So this'll all be mine. Everything the sun can touch."

It was definitely more of a statement, rather than a question, but Leon felt obliged to answer anyway. Yes. Aerrow stood and paced along the edge of the cool rock, eyes the color of antelope grass sparkling as they memorized every detail the horizon had to offer. It was beautiful, everything the light touched...

"...What about that shadowy place?"

Leon frowned when his son looked back at him. Out to the west lay a desolate, dark, shadowed scar of land. Sharp rock formations jutted out into the sky, contrasting with the thin grey swatches of cloud that made up the sky.

"That's beyond our border. It's forbidden, you aren't allowed there." Aerrow frowned and kneaded the rock with his paws, impatient.

"Can't a king do whatever he wants?"

Leon laughed and ruffled his son's fur. "There's more to be being king than just getting your way, Aerrow." He motioned for his son to follow him as he descended the rock and set out for the vast plains below.

* * *

A herd of antelope, limber and lean, seemed unaffected by the prescence of two lions in their midst. They leaped along from one spot to the next, heading steadily down to the river that ran not fifty feet away. Leon and Aerrow watched them as they strode through the grass, side by side.

"Everything that is, is connected in a great balance. As king, you'll need to understand that balance, and respect everything. From the crawling ant, to the leaping antelope."

Aerrow frowned and gave his father a disbelieving glance. "Dad, we _eat _the antelope." Leon smiled and leaned down to look at his son at eye-level.

"Well, let me explain. When we die, son, our bodies become the grass. And the antelope eat the grass, don't they?"

Aerrow's eyes narrowed as he plopped down onto the grass to think. They watched the last of the antelope disappear over the hill, then turned back to his father once the last white tail had gone. Leon chuckled when the young cub gave an affirmative nod, and reached down to ruffle the male's mop of red fur, fur very similar to his own.

"It's the Circle of Life, and you should be very proud to be a part of it."

"Good morning, sire!"

"Ah, Stork."

The familiar shape of the green bird descended from the sky and perched himself on a fairly large rock that sat before the two lions. The paranoid bird cleaned his feathers for a moment, then shook himself and frowned.

"I'm here with the morning report. Not too pleasant, I'm afraid-"

"Fire away." Leon inwardly smiled at the bird's pessimistic tone. Stork always overreacted to the smallest of things, and the king had learned not to take his warning's _too _seriously. When the twitchy bird had first started out, Leon was always willing to take Stork's warnings to heart, which led to a lot of unnecessary running around. And _that_ led to one very tired king.

"Well... oh where to begin. The leopards are in a bit of spot, that is, they're in some real danger... I think you should head out to the trees immediately to see what's happened. I'm not quite sure myself, exactly... I heard this from the bees. You know how the little demons are."

Aerrow, a young cub with an unusually high curiosity level, found the morning report to be extremely boring. First, his eyes found a bird flying around in the sky, and that managed to draw his attention away from the overall boredom that was Stork, for about a minute. Luckliy, a small cricket jumped onto his paw, and a small grin found its way onto Aerrow's face.

"The baboons are behaving like total animals, fighting amongst themselves and throwing-"

"What are you doing, son?"

"Pouncing." While the annoying green talking thing droned on and on, Aerrow had fixed his attention on the unfortunate cricket. As the poor thing jumped to and fro, the cub chased after it. He still wasn't that much of a hunter, so the little thing always managed to jump away before the clawed paws slammed down on top of it. After one last pounce, the cricket must have decided it was done of being a plaything, for it beat a hasty retreat into the tallgrass, leaving a frowning cub behind.

"Let an old pro show you how's it done. Stork, would you do me favor and turn around?"

"O-of course, sire. Now, I told the elephants to just forget it, but they just can't-"

Leon grinned and turned back to his son, who was now gazing up at him with expectant eyes. He leaned down to whisper instructions in his sons ear, hoping Stork wouldn't notice and spoil their fun. "Stay low to the ground, so they can't see you..."

"What was that, sire?"

Stork stopped his monlogue long enough to notice that his king and king-to-be had disappeared. As the ruffled bird looked glanced furtively about, a certain lion cub was creeping up behind him, hidden in the grass. "Try not to make a sound..."

"Sire? I-is that you?"

"Yes, Stork?"

"What's going on?"

"Pouncing lesson."

"Oh, I see. Very good- wait... pouncing?!"

Before the terrified bird had a chance to turn around and confront the smirking king, he was bulldozed by a bullet of gold and red fur. Leon erupted in laughter, Aerrow smirked in triumph, and Stork groaned in humiliation. The young cub stepped off of the poor bird and strutted back to his father.

Stork didn't even have time to get up off the ground; a rumble came from below and a dusty prairie dog popped up from beneath him. The prairie dog shook away some of the dirt that had collected atop his golden brown head, and gave the irritated bird a rigid salute.

"Sir, news from the underground."

Back behind the rock, father and son sat together, exchanging laughs. "That's very good!" Aerrow's chest swelled with pride at his father's compliments. Leon lifted a paw and gave his son's fur an affectionate ruffle, hints of a chuckle present in his voice when he spoke. "Now this time..." But before the male could pass along his pouncing advice, Stork jumped back up onto the rock, fear evident on his feathered face.

"Sir! Hyenas! In the Atmos!"

All traces of humor fled the king's face, instead replaced with a mix of anger and caution. He lifted his nose to the wind and inhaled, brows creasing as he located the scent of the trespassing scavengers. He growled once, and turned back for a moment to order his subject to escort his son home.

Aerrow frowned and moved to follow his father, but stopped when he saw the serious shadow in his father's eyes. "Dad, can't I come?" The cub frowned when his father shook his head, and his ears fell when Leon charged off to deal with the hyenas. Aerrow sighed and turned around, heading for home, like his father had ordered. "He never takes me with him."

Stork rolled his eyes and took to the sky, gliding along beside the young prince. "Please, young master. I honestly can't see why you'd want to deal with those slobbery, mangy poachers. They're probably riddled with horrific diseases. Maybe mange, rabies... ugh. Definitely not the kind of creature a prince associates with."

"That's not the point!"

Stork stopped for a moment, hovering in the air, and frowned. The paranoid bird sighed and shook his head. "Alright. I get it. But if it makes you feel any better, once you're king... you can chase those filthy scavengers from dawn till dusk."

Aerrow looked back over his shoulder, smiled for a moment, then flicked his tail and set out for home at a happy little trot. Stork flew along at an easy pace bseide him.

* * *

The Dark Ace stalked along the wall of his den, pausing to knock a spare bone hurtling over the edge. His paws made not a sound, nor did his steady breathe. The slience was broken only when a bundle of gold and red fur came charging up behind him, shouting all the while.

"Hey, hey! Uncle Ace! Guess what!"

The dark lion stared for only a moment, before continuing on his way, growling all the while. "I despise guessing games." Undetterred by his uncle's tone, Aerrow bounded up in front of him, unkowingly blocking his way. The cub smiled; the mop of red fur on his head was ruffled and he bounced from paw to paw, obviously excited. His tail swished back and forth and his ears were pricked; this his uncle noted with a frown.

"I'm gonna be king of Aurora Rock."

That made the frown deepen. Ace stepped over the cub, ignoring the near-overwhelming urge to extend his claws and rip the annoying hairball to shreds. Aerrow took his uncle's silence for a sign for him to continue, so he wen tto emphasize his next point by bounding over to the ledge and nodding his head at the kingdom below.

"I just got back from Dad's tour of the kingdom. I still can't believe I'm gonna be in charge of it all. Can you?"

"No. Well, forgive me for not leaping for joy. Bad back and all that..." Ace hit the cave floor with a huff, his back to the irritating ball of fur. Unfazed by the obvious sarcasm in the male's voice, Aerrow jumped up onto his uncle's shoulder and cocked his head.

"Uncle Ace, when I'm king, what'll that make you?"

"A monkey's uncle."

Aerrow laughed and rolled off of his uncle, who in turn brought his head up to stare at the cub for a moment, before flashing a fake smile and getting back up. "So Leon showed you the whole kingdom, did he?"

"Yep!"

"Did he show you what lies just beyond the northern border?" The cub's enthusiasm died. His ears fell as he plopped down beside his uncle, who had moved to the ledge to stare out at the kingdom. "Well... no." Since the cub was staring at the cave floor at that particular moment, Aerrow did not see the sharp smile that came onto Ace's face for no more than a moment, before he regained his composure and continuing his charade of mock concern.

"As he shouldn't. That place is meant for only the bravest and strongest of lions; it's certainly no place for cubs." Aerrow frowned and stood up, glaring at his uncle. "Well _I'm_ brave!" Ace laid back down, smiling and staing at his nephew with something crueler than humor in his blood red eyes.

"What's so dangerous about that place anyway?"

"Well, it's not _my _place to say."

"Why not?" Aerrow growled and braced his paws on Ace's leg, making himself taller in order to stare his uncle in the eye. "Aerrow, I'm only looking out for what's best for you. Wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite nephew, now would I?"

Aerrow had to sit back down when Ace brought up a paw to flatten the cub's mop of wild fur with his enormous paw, the urge to unsheath his claws again repressed by the scarred lion. The young prince snorted. " Yeah, right. I'm your _only_ nephew."

"All the more reason to be protective, right? An elephant graveyard is no place for a cub as inexperianced as yourself_, oops!"_

Aerrow's ears shot up and his eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Really?!" Ace, in his charade of mock despair, covered his eyes with the back of his paw and moaned. "Oh my, I've said too much, can't be helped I suppose. Some one as_ clever _as you would have figured it out eventually. Just promise me one thing..."

The grinning lion snagged Aerrow before he could run off, as he'd been trying to do before his uncle saw him. Ace brought the cub close to his face, his razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws a torturingly small distance from the cub's fragile skull, but he ignored it and continued with his act.

"Promise me you'll never visit such a dangerous place."

Aerrow looked away. "No problem." Ace smiled and released the cub, who immediately headed for the trail leading back to where the rest of the pride was, never once looking back over his shoulder.

"Good boy."

* * *

**A/N: There you go. Now, review. **

**If you don't, this time I'll send the prairie dogs.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:Yes, here's Chapter 3. I know, finally, right? Stop complaining. This chapter was just a pain to right. But I guess my muse likes Cyclonis, because as soon as she came in I knew what to right. Go figure. Maybe that's why this chapter took solong, since I just thought of putting her in today.**

**Yeah... my mind works in strange way. Kinda like Mine That Bird in the Kentucky Derby the other day. Came up out of nowhere, he did. And the announcer didn't even notice he'd taken irst until there were like five lenghths to go. **

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

"Piper? Piper! Piper where're ya hiding?"

Eyes as green as a rainforest narrowed in the bright morning sun, and ears sticking out from beneath a mass of fiery red fur twitched this way and that, hoping to to find an answer. Aerrow's tail twitched as he spent one last moment searching the Aurora Sunningrocks, the one place on Aurora Rock that had both sunbathing spots and pockets of shade; both of which each member of the pride would spend a good time taking advantage of each day.

An impatient growl escaped the cub's throat, and he had to try very hard not to trip over his own paws as he practically charged down the Sunningrock's steep slope. Lionesses watched him go, small smiles on their faces as they looked upon their future king.

Aerrow's ears shot up when he heard the one voice he'd been waiting to hear. "Aerrow, over here!" He followed the voice, and came upon three of his favortie lionesses.

One was his mother, Queen of Aurora Rock, Starling. His eyes lit up and he threw a toothy little grin her way before turning his attention to the other two. One was his best friend, Piper. She was a female cub about his age, give or take a week or two. Her fur was a chocolate brown, a shade unusual for lions in that area but not unheard of, but her most stunning quality, other than her charming personality, were her eyes. They were the shade of the last glimpse of the sun one got before it set below the horizon, and shone with an intelligence beyond her years.

"What's up?" Aerrow was so excited he almost blurted out his story right in front of both the cub's mothers. Fortunately he was able to catch the words on his tongue and flash Piper's mother a sheepish grin before sitting down and leaning over to whisper in Piper's ear.

Piper's mother, adoptive mother really, was a pretty young lioness named Dove. Dove's birth-pride had been killed in a horrific incident a few years back, and Leon, being the kind-hearted king that he was, had allowed her to make her new home with his pride. She had kind eyes and an ever-present smile was always there to brighten a lion's day.

"I just heard about this awesome place and I was thinking-"

"Uh, Aerrow? I'm kinda in the middle of a bath."

"Huh?" The confused cub pulled back, blinked, and became very thankful he had fur to hide his blush. In his excitement he remained completely oblvious to the fact that Piper was indeed seated betwen her mother's front paws, receiving said dreaded grooming session every cub endured daily. "Oh! Uh, well..."

"Now that I think about it, it's time you had a one as well." Aerrow was snatched up before his Starling had even finished her sentence. The young cub squirmed and made mews of protest; by the time he'd wormed his way out of his mother's paws his fur was ruffled and his eyes were alight with irritation and embarrassment.

Aerrow sat down and proceeded to smooth out his fur, ignoring the amused grin on Starling's face and the laughter shining in Piper's eyes. "Alright, I'm clean. Can we go now?"

"Go where?"

"Yes, Aerrow, do tell." The young male opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, thinking of something to say. Surely his mother wouldn't want him fooling around in an elephant graveyard. 'Too dangerous,' she'd say. SUddenly Aerrow's tail shot up and a smug little grin popped up on his face. "We're gpoing to the watering hole! I heard about this really cool-"

"The watering hole! Aerrow I don't care what you heard but if you've seen one cheetah get squashed by a hippo you've seen them all." Aerrow whipped around and glared at his best friend, effectively silencing her while he leaned and growled. "We're not going to the watering hole." His face scrunched up for a moment, as if in thought. "And you and both know that was hilarious."

Piper rolled her sun-colored eyes and swiveled around to face her mother, who was still smiling sweetly. "I'm sure this'll be something stupid, but can I, mom?" Dove smiled and gave her daughter one final lick before releasing her. As Piper stretched her legs the pale lioness sat up and took on a look of contemplation.

"I do not zee any problem vith zhat. Vhat about ou, Starling?" Aerrow's ears twitched as he tried to get around Dove's strange accent, but Starling just smiled and shook her head. "I guess not."

Aerrow grinned and set off down the path to the base of Aurora Rock; so wrapped up in his excitement was he that he didn't even look to see if Piper was following. She was though, at a much calmer pace. Starling rolled her eyes and stood up and flicked her tail in Dove's direction. "Come on, let's see them to the ground." The two lionesses trotted off after the two cubs, exchanging quiet conversation as they went.

Farther down the path, Aerrow had stopped to let Piper catch up, and now they ran side by side down the paw-beaten trail that twisted down along the rocks. Seeing as these two would often end up trying to prove one to be better than the other, the trip down became something of a race. Every now and then one cub would pull ahead of the other, but the lead would soon be lost and the challenge would begin again.

Unfortunately, while Aerrow had spirit enough for three lions, his head didn't always work to coordinate his actions. Maybe if he'd used it more often, he would have known to slow down when the stable stone path beneath him turned to gravel, and maybe he wouldn't have tripped over his own paws and tumble head over heels down the path.

And maybe he wouldn't have collided with the most feared lioness on Aurora Rock.

Aerrow heard Piper gasp somewhere from behind him, and the young cub gulped when he felt the chilled warmth of the leg he was leaning on shake with anger. He inched his gaze upwards bit by painful bit, till frightened emerald met furious amethyst.

"Cyclonis!"

Only her eyes moved, sliding upward to stare at a snarling Starling, a frowning Dove standing beside her. Both had their claws unsheathed, and Aerrow shivered as he heard the tell-tale screech of claw sliding on rock come from beneath him, a clear signal for him to move his furry little behind. He turned and ran, looking back only when he was safe within the shelter of his mother's legs.

Cyclonis was an unusual and frightening lioness. She was thin and bony, with unusual dark, almost black fur that shone with an even more unusual purple sheen that matched her eyes. A scowl was almost always on her face, and she prefered to be left alone. That wish was usually granted, for the majority of the pride didn't enjoy being in her prescence.

"What? _Your _cub hit _me_." Cyclonis' voice was as cold as her eyes, and just as hard. Those eyes moved slowly across the forms of each lion before her, and came to a stop when they found Piper. The cold dissapitated slightly, only slightly, but it was enough to cause Dove to growl and stand over her adopted daughter. Cyclonis smirked and sat down before the lioness, completely ignoring the Queen and Prince of the Atmos in doing so.

"Still worried, Dove?" When a slight snarl came as her answer, Cyclonis chuckled and leaned down to look Piper in the eye. Piper stared right back, her golden eyes never once faltered. Aerrow watched the pair, confused, but both Dove and Starling noticed something that set both of their fangs on edge.

Cyclonis and Piper had the same stare. Both were defiant, sharp, and filled with an intelligence that went beyond their years. "Do you remeber me, little one?" Piper cocked her head and thought for a moment, unaware of the tenseness in her mother's limbs.

"You smell familiar... and I can guess your name, but..." Piper stood up to get a better look at the lioness before her, and stared for a minute longer, before shaking her head. "I don't recognize your face. Sorry."

Amythest eyes slid shut for a moment. A sigh that was neither disappointed nor content escaped the dark lioness as she stood up and turned her back on the four. The firmness in her limbs returned and she stalked away.

"You should keep an eye on your offspring. Who knows what could happen to a cub left alone."

Starling and Dove sheathed their claws only after they were sure Cyclonis had gone. They let out a simultaneous sigh and nudged their confused kids forward, neither knowing who the cold cat's words were for.

Thankfully the incident happened toward the end of the trail, so it didn't take long for the cubs to get excited about their outing. While Aerrow was eager to get going, Piper could tell their parents were still unsettled. She rubbed up against her mother's legs and purred, "Would you feel better if we took Stork with us?" Aerrow stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around to give his friend an incredulous stare, which was blatantly ignored.

Dove smiled and gave Piper an affectionate lick on the forehead. "Ou alvays know vhat I am zhinking, Piper dear. Having Stork a-round vould make me quite happy."

"Did I hear my name?"

The green ball of ruffled feathers landed on a rock that sat near Starling's head. Said lioness smiled and nodded her head in welcome. "Just the bird I was looing for. Would you be so kind as to look after these two while they go down to the watering hole to have a look around?"

Stork narrowed his eyes at the two cubs, past memories of their 'looks around' resurfacing in his head. He twitched once then mumbled something inaudible before hopping down to land at Starling's paws. "If milady wishes it. Come on you two."

Aerrow was still frowning by the time they were on their way. He turned and glared at Piper, who trotted along beside him, head held high.

"I hope you're happy." Piper's eye turned to meet his, though she kept her head forward. "I am." Aerrow growled and lengthened his stride so that he was ahead of her, but she easily caught up and playfully bumped his shoulder.

"Calm down. Our parents wouldn't have let us leave alone, and if one of them had gone with us then we'd have had of chance of going to wherever it we're going." Aerrow nodded, understanding that much, but voiced that they still wouldn't be able to go if the dodo was still around. Piper snorted and grinned a smug grin, mischief shining in her eyes.

"That's why we're gonna ditch him."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, now since this story seems to be popular I solemnly swear I'll try and update aster. And I'm also sorry this chapter was short; there was more I wanted to write but there's something important I have to do tomorrow and I need sleep. What is it? Haha, you don't need to know.**

**Seriously, you don't. Hey, what's that curious look in your eye? Get rid of it. You've got your lie, I've got mine. My daily routine is no concern of yours. Especially with my line of work.**

**Heh.**


	5. Chapter 5

**First, all of you should thank delphigirl689, for reminding me to actually get off my lazy butt and type this thing. So, here's Chapter 4. And I promise Chapter 5 will be up by the end of August. Hey, did you just roll your eyes? I could do without that negative energy, man.**

**Seriously.**

* * *

_"I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!" "Well I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little hair." "I'm gonna be the mane event, that no king was before! I'm brushin' up on lookin' down, and working on my ROAR!" "Thus far a rather, uninspiring thing." "Oh I just can't wait to be king!"_

Why they'd starting singing was anyone's guess. How they'd been able to come up with such a good song on such short notice is also a mystery. What _was _easy to see was that Stork was not enjoying himself. "You have a long way to go mister prince if you think that-"

_"No one saying 'do this'!" "Now when I said that-  
"No one saying 'be there'!" "What I meant was-"  
"No one saying 'stop that'!" "What you don't realize-"  
"No one saying 'see here'!" "Now SEE HERE!"_

_"Free to run around all day!" "Now that's definitely out-" "Free to do it all my way!"_

How they'd gotten the other animals in on it was also bizarre. One second they'd been alone, then the song'd started and boom! Back-up singers everywhere!

_"I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart-to-heart!" "Kings don't need advice, from little hornbills for a start!" "If this where the monarchy is headed, count me out! Out of service, out of Africa, I wouldn't hang about. This child is getting wildly out of wing!" "Oh I just can't wait to be king!"_

The fact that a lighting crew and choreographer had arrived just in time was also a bit disconcerting.

_"Everybody look left, everybody look right! Everywhere you look I'm, standing in spotlight!" "NOT YET!"_

Who knew the African Savannah had so many talented voices?

_"Let every creature go for broke and sing, let's hear it in the herd and on the wing! It's gonna be king Aerrow's finest fling!" _

_"Oh I just can't wait-" "Oh he just can't wait..." "Oh I just can't wait... to be king!"_

I don't know about you, but I don't think a tiny little bird like Stork would be able to survive being crushed under that much weight. Ms. Rhino alone should've been enough to do the job.

...Let's hope she doesn't take that as an insult.

* * *

"Ha! It worked! Piper, you're a genius!"

"Thank you, thank you." Now no longer within the vicinity of Aurora Rock, and with no annoying bird to watch them, the two cubs pranced about with smug grins on their faces and springs in their steps. Forget the fact that the grass was becoming sparser under their feet, and that the tree population was slowly shrinking. They were finally free to do as they pleased.

Piper was especially happy with herself. "Ah, Aerrow," she started with a smirk, "What would you do without me?"

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing." The mocha-colored cub pranced past her best friend, ignoring the look on his face, or so _he _thought at least. The truth was, one of Piper's favorite things to do was make Aerrow mad. He'd always challenge her to a spar, and he'd always lose. Then he'd challenge her to another, and lose again. Then he'd sulk. It was funny, and a bit cute, in her eyes. And it looked like another spar wasn't far off. The look in Aerrow's irritated green eyes told her that much.

He cut off her path and flicked his tail at her nose, growling. "I would've found some way to ditch the bird. It's not like you _needed _to be here. Don't forget I invited you to come along. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me." Piper smiled sweetly, and a look of mock understanding came upon her face. "Oh, I see. You wanted me to come because you knew I'd have a plan to make up for your lack of one. Good thinking."

The fact that Piper's mocking tone didn't quite match up with the amused glint in her sunset eyes made Aerrow realize what she was doing. The young prince twitched his tail, smiled, and with a mock snarl, pounced. The two rolled over and over, not noticing that there was now no grass left at all beneath their backs, just cold, hard, chipping stone.

Unfortunately for Aerrow, nature knew that the female lions would be the ones hunting for their families, and made them stronger and faster than their brothers, though they were still smaller. So, while size did keep Aerrow from loosing immediately, which would have been truly embarrassing, the prince did eventually end up on the bottom. "Pinned ya!"

"Let me up!" Laughing, Piper got off. She then sat down to fix her fur, which had gotten mussed up in the scuffle. Embarrassed, Aerrow stood back up and shook out his fur, before pouncing again, in an attempt to reclaim his dignity. Piper had been expecting the first pounce, but the second had been a surprise, so the pair fought longer and rougher than before.

So absorbed in their battle were they, that when the rolled right over a short cliff, they barely even noticed. Nor did they feel the rough stone scraping against their fur, or the musty dampness of the air seeping into their fur. Their new surroundings would only be noticed when, again, Piper won. She stood over her friend, smirk wider than before, and Aerrow, who had lost again, glared up at her. "Pinned ya again."

A short distance a ways, a geizer shot off, steam and hot air mixing to create a dense fog, that thinned out moments later to reveal sharp, jagged rocks, cliffs, and some other object indiscernible to both cubs. Shooting Piper a look, Aerrow rolled out of his friend's grip and stood up, squinting into the distance. With a sideways nod to his friend, the two cubs trotted up one of the less sheer cliffs that lead upwards.

Piper looked around, a slight shiver creeping along her spine. While this place was just as cool as Aerrow had promised, it walso seemed incredibly dangerous. But, knowing that she was the more intelligent member of their party, she doubted Aerrow felt the same. In fact, he seemed positively ecstatic. He was looking around wildly, swinging his head left and right, but instead of being scared, he was smiling and making little 'oohs' and 'aahs' under his breath.

_'He doesn't even care that those are bones... wait... _bones?_' _

It was true. Now that the pair were closer, the large shadows the cubs had seen through the mist had now taken on the shape of giant bones. The biggest bones Piper had ever seen in fact; they were dry, yellowed, and in many cases cracked. One of these such bones Aerrow was now standing on. "Piper, you've gotta see this! It goes on for miles!"

"It does?!" Piper hopped up beside him and gasped. It _did _go on for miles. Grey, dark, and dreary were fitting words to describe the horizon, very unlike words one'd use to describe the lands surrounding Aurora Rock. For those, one'd use words like, beautiful, warm, and safe.

The difference was, at the least, unnerving.

"What did you call this place again, Aerrow?"

"The Elephant Graveyard! Cool, right?"

"Yeah... We could really get in trouble for this, Aerrow."

"I know. Isn't it great!" Piper sighed in exasperation and turned around. Obviously the cub was too oblivious to reason with. She licked her shoulder and almost wished that Stork was back with them. A wish that was fortunately, or unfortunately, granted.

"_There you two crazy little nutcases are!!!"_

"Oh no! The bird's back!" Aerrow's ears went down and he scrambled off the bone to where Piper was sitting. He looked around for a hiding place, and when his eyes found an enormous and dusty elephant skull that lie not fifty feet away. Aerrow's ears perked and he started for it, bumping shoulders with Piper on the way. "Come on!" Piper hesitated, looking skywards, then shook her head and followed.

They didn't get far. Stork had sharp eyes, and saw what they were doing immediately. Swooping down, he blocked their escape path, and got as close to snarling as any bird ever could.

"Do you have any idea what sitting under a rhino's butt is like? The smell alone is.... _ugh!_ But the germs from the remnants of feces and... _other _things is just... it's really not worth serving the king if I have to babysit you two! It's not!"

The cubs simultaneously rolled eyes. Aerrow grumbled and padded past the bird, mindful of the ruffled green feathers the nervous wreck was now molting. He trotted up to the literal mouth of the skull and sat down. His eyes traveled over the nooks and crannies filled with spiderwebs, smaller bits of bone, and paw prints.

_'Paw prints?' _A horrible chorus of laughter erupted from the cave, and the young prince jumped back, ears and tail straight up.

"Yeah, why don't ya leave the kid alone?" Three hyenas, scraggly and bony, climbed out from the eyes of the skull, fixing their hungry gazes on Aerrow, two of them snickering as they watched him scamper back to the company of his friends, while the third, the largest, laughed maniacally, as if he knew some joke the others did not.

"Well, well, well. What do you think we have here, Carver?" The slimmest of the trio, obviously female, had piercing golden eyes. Carver, the male she had addressed, looked down at the cubs with a teasing and distasteful glint in his dusty brown eyes that matched his dusty brown fur. "I dunno Ravess. Maybe your bro knows. Snipe?" Snipe was the least intelligent of the hyenas. He couldn't even speak, if you could believed that. He just laughed, snarled, or whined when creatures asked him questions. The first was the answer to Carver's.

"Just what I was thinking. A trio of trespassers!"

"Oh no, oh no,!" cried Stork, "We were just- ah that is we were- um..." Ravess stopped and a smirked a playful smirk as she stamped a paw down on his tail feathers, halting the escape the frightened little bird. "I know you. Your King Leon's little messenger bird! I wonder how he'd manage if I were to clip those wings of yours!" Aerrow frowned and stood before Carver, whose gaze was now only distasteful, no longer teasing.

"Leave us alone. My dad's kicked your butt a number of times, and if he can so can I!"

"Ooh. Tough guy." Carver brought up a paw black with soot and dirt, and knocked the little cub right over, sending Snipe into another round of maniac giggling. "Your not king yet, fuzzy, don't go acting like it. Hot under his fur, Aerrow jumped right back up and growled. Piper frowned and bumped his shoulder. "Aerrow, don't. We _are _on their land. Let's just go home."

"Go home? Oh but we'd love for you to stay for dinner!" Ravess released Stork and moved to block the trail that Aerrow and Piper had used to get there. Piper gulped as she realized that now, they'd have to find a _different _way home. And they'd be doing it while the home team was, well, home. Away teams always loose. You know that.

_"Yeah, we could have whatever's 'lion' around!_" _"Wait, wait, wait, I have one. Make mine a 'cub' sandwhich! What do you think?"_

As the hyenas were busy making each other laugh, Stork urged the cubs away in a direction that looked promising. Unfortunately, as they were slinking away, Snipe saw them.

Ravess and Carver were still laughing when Snipe began to whine and maked unintelligible gestures with his huge paws and floppy ears. Ravess, being the sister of the big lunk, rolled her eyes and acknowledged him. "What is it, Brother?" Carver frowned and leaned over to look past Snipe's great bulk, and his frowned deepened. "Did we get our dinner to go?"

"No, why?"

"Because there it goes!"

The chase began, and from the beginning Stork knew who would win. The cubs were small, and while hyenas were weak things and no match for a full-grown lion, even in packs, they were very good runners. The cubs couldn't fight them off, and since they couldn't outrun them, there was only one thing Stork could do.

And he had to hurry.

He made a sharp turn to the right, wincing when he heard the thundering paws of the angry hyenas pass him, heading in the direction of the cubs. Darting in and out of clouds of mist and fog, Stork found what he was looking for.

The Birdie-Boiler.

A dreadful geizer that shot hot, stinking fumes into the air every few minutes. And it was ripe for a particularly foul burst of gas, this much could be told from the way the thing shook. Stork sighed. He knew this was the only way... he'd never be able to fly home fast enough... so...

He had to do this. He had to.

The lives of thoise two cubs demanded on it.

With that in mind. Stork steeled his will. Readied his wings, and jumped right into the Birdie-Boiler, just as it went off. His terrified squawks echoed in the air as he was shot up into the sky, and in the direction of Aurora Rock.

Meanwhile, the cubs were having a hard time.

The hyenas were gaining on them, and they had no idea where they wanted to go. They wanted to go home, we can tell that much, but which way _was _home? After a few minutes of panic-laced sprinting, the piles of bones all start to look the same. Aerrow panted and looked around for somewhere, anywhere, to go, and when he saw a giant hill of mismatched bones looming up ahead, he took off for it, urging Piper to follow.

The hill was difficult to manage. The bones were in no way stuck together, and when the cubs got their claws around what they thought was a good fotthold, the bone would slip and they'd stumble. Aerrow was faring better than Piper, better than trying to find something solid, he scrambled up to the top as fast as he could, sending many bones flying in all directions.

One of these bones, larger than the rest, slid back down the hill, stricking Piper while she was busy trying to navigate the shifting structure beneath her, and followed her back down the hill.

"Aerrow!" The future king of Aurora Rock swung his head around, and his eyes widened as he saw Ravess climbing the structure, hungry eyes set on Piper. Snarling, he turned and bounded back down the bones. Just when it seemed Ravess' teeth would find themselves in Piper's fur, her head snapped to the left, cheeks bearing the bleeding marks Aerrow's thorn-sharp claws.

"Come on!" Helping Piper back to her paws, the pair scrambled back up, trying to ignored the pained and outraged snarling coming from below them.

The hill semmed to form stairs for a very large slide, for when the cubs reached the top, an elephants spine, ribs still attached, stretched out before them. They looked at each other for only a moment, before practically diving down the make-shift slide and making their escape. The bones could support the slight weight of the cubs, but was to withered and brittle to handle the hyenas.

Said scavengers looked on with dismay as their dinner slid away into safety, their ears down and tails drooping. Carver, both hungry and angered that such measley cubs could escape him, growled. Just then, his nose picked up a peculiar scent, and he turned his head to see a snake slithering on the ground before him.

Before he had a chance to kill it, it spoke. "Sssssssuch a sssssshame they esssssscaped you. But don't fret. I know where they are heading. Follow me, pleassssssse."

Carver snarled. A slimy, slithering little thing had no business ordering around a hyena. He said so out loud. The snake seemed unmoved, and turned away.

"I ssssssssee. A sssssssshame. Your massssssssster will be sssssssssso ssssssssssad to hear thisssssssssss." Carver's growl quickly turned to a whine. He turned to look at his companions for support, but they were just as terrified as he was. He turned to the snake, whose face had never even twitched, and nodded.

Tail between his legs, he let the slimy, slithering little thing lead him to the not even half-grown cubs he had failed to capture, his allies plodding along behind him.

Carver was having a bad day. And it would not be his last.

The cubs however, seemed to be doing fine. Or so they thought. The slide had led them to another clearing, one whose view was free of hyenas, which was good. And though they were confused on where to go, a guide soon appeared to them. A rather unusual and suspicious-looking guide, but a guide nonetheless.

Piper had been nosing around the clearing when her nose had brought her face to face with a snake. She jumped back with a yelp, landing on Aerrow, who in turn also yelped upon seeing the snake and fell over. They ended up in a very comical fuzzy heap.

"Who are you!?" The snake merely flicked it's tongue and titled it's head.

"I'm your way out of here, of courssssssssse. Not to worry. Cyclonisssssssss sssssssssent me, you know, the lionessssssssssss you met earlier today?" Piper's ears perked and she she straightened up, shaking out her fur before giving the snake a long look. "How'd she know we would be here?"

The snake twitched and slithered around. "What doesssssssss it matter? Do you want to get out of here or not?"

Piper and Aerrow looked to each other, frowning, but didn't have much choice. They were soon trotting along behind the snake, whose name turned out to be Spitz, a funny name, in Aerrow's opinion, but his laughter was cut short when two more snakes, Hoerk and Leugey, slid out to join the escort.

Aerrow didn't like the snakes, and neither did Piper, but they desperately wanted to go home. But, it would still be a while before that wish was granted.

The snakes led them into something of a cave, a real cave, not just some deceased elephants head, before stopping. Aerrow frowned at their scaly backs, but they paid no mind.

"We have company..." they hissed. Aerrow and Piper were confused, until they heard Snipe laughing. Their heads shot up, and their tails hit the floor when they saw Carver, Ravess, and Snipe, standing together on a ledge above them. The mangy poachers jumped down and immediately circled the cubs, saliva dripping from their fangs.

"Didn't think you could get away from us, could you?" Aerrow narrowed his eyes. He was tired of these mutts messing with him. He wanted to get Piper out of danger, and he wanted to go home. Bracing his paws against the stone floor, he took a deep breath, and roared.

Or, at least, he attempted to. It really just sounded like he had an upset stomach. The hyenas shared a glance, before bursting out into laughter.

Ravess was the first to recover, but instead of skinning the cubs' like she ought to have done, she asked him to do it again.

Embarrassed, and desperate to regain at least a shred of his dignity, he took another deep breath, and tried again.

A real roar, a terrible roar, a roar that was definitely not his, echoed through the cave. A shadow, huge, muscular, and terrifying fell across the backs of the hyenas, and they turned around, forgeting the cubs completely.

Kign Leon was here.

And he was _not _happy.

* * *

**And there you go. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5. Woo-hoo. ...Not much else for ya. Woulda come sooner if I hadn't signed up for APUSH. Summer Reading work sucks.**

* * *

The roar was loud, but the yelps, growls, and snarls that ensued were much, much louder. Piper couldn't hear herself think, but then, at that particular moment, she didn't have much to think about. All there was was one little voice chanting _'We're dead we're dead we're dead' _at the back of her mind. But, as soon as the fight started, it was over. Even when the odds are 3 to 1, a dominant male lion against mange-ridden scavengers wasn't much of a match.

"You two still have your limbs?" While the king pinned the three hyenas to the cold stone floor, Stork (some of his feathers were still smoking) flew over and landed beside Aerrow, eyes flitting over their trembling forms, checking for any signs of injury. The two cubs ignored him, choosing instead to watch as the king bring himself to his full height. Below him, squashed together between Leon's massive paws. Carver and Ravess, the two closest to the lethal weapons, cringed when they heard the sound of his claws grating against the stone floor.

"If you _ever _come near my son again-"

"O-oh, this is your son? Well we didn't know that! You know the rules, anyone who trespasses on our land is-" Leon roared again, fiercer than before, if possible, and Snipe whined as Carver quickly shut his mouth. "I know what the law states, you filthy scavenger! _I wrote it!_" Ravess flattened her ears and smiled a very nervous, dodgey smile. "Of course you did, we all know you did! Now... i-if you'll excuse us...!" Snarling one last time, Leon watched the trio sprint from the cave, tails tucked between their legs as their whines rang in the air.

Aerrow and Piper shared a look, and stepped out from the safety of the dead elephant's ribcage, Stork following close behind. Aerrow's paws shook as he stepped up to his fathers back legs and struggled to find his voice.

"D-dad... I-"

Leon turned on his son with such force that Aerrow had to resist the urge to flatten himself against the ground and mewl like a newborn cub. "_You deliberately disobeyed me."_ The ice in his fathers voice made Aerrow's fur stand on end, and his eyes dropped to his paws, unable to withstand the fury in his father's. He hated being proved wrong. His father had told him, too many times to count, that lands outside the kingdom were extremely dangerous. The fact that Leon had to come rescue them after he and Piper had been there for no more than fifteen minutes proved that, without a doubt.

"We're going home. _Now."_

The king's voice left no room for argument.

As the group left the cave, Piper and Aerrow trailing behind the king and his messenger, pebbles and shards of stone clattered down the cave wall as heavy paws made their way to the end of a ledge far above their heads. Blazing red eyes glared out through the darkness, and gleaming white teeth shone as their owner growled before slinking back into the shadows.

No one noticed the snakes had gone.

* * *

Piper would sneak looks at Aerrow every now and then as they made their way home. His expression remained the same. Eyes downcast, ears drooping. His paws dragged in the dirt, and the dust that came uup was obviously irritating his eyes, but he was too upset to care.

She didn't like seeing him like this. _Even though it is kinda his fault... Wow. That didn't make me feel any better._ Piper opened her mouth to say something, anything to get that look off his face, when the king's voice rang out louder than an elephant's trumpet.

"Stork! Take Piper home to Dove. I'm sure she's worried. Aerrow, come here."

Stork looked at Aerrow for a moment, before sighing and flapping his wings. "Good luck, you'll need it." He saluted the future king and motioned for Piper to follow him. Aerrow watched as the pair headed off in the direction of Aurora Rock. Piper looked back at him, and he faked a smile, but he knew she didn't buy it.

_"Aerrow."_ With a hazy air about him, as if he was in a dream, Aerrow's paws headed in his father's direction. When one paw fell shorter than the other and Aerrow stumbled, he looked down and found himself _inside _his father's footprint. It was almost as big as he was. Aerrow shook his head, as if waking up from a deep sleep. He looked up at his father, and sat himself down at his side. Looking down, Aerrow thought for a moment, of what no one could say, and looked back up.

His father remained still as a statue for moment, before softening slightly and looking down at his son. Before he spoke, he sighed. "I suppose I understand why you did this. You take after me, and I'm sure I would have done the same if someone had told me I couldn't go somewhere. But back when I was a cub, there was no elephant graveyard."

Aerrow had heard nothing after 'you take after me'. That had made him happy. His father was a great king, one of the best the Atmos had ever seen. He was brave, strong, smart, kind, caring, fun, courageous, and-

"Aerrow, are you listening?"

"What?" Leon fixed his son with a hard look, and the happy feeling Aerrow had felt only seconds before had gone. "As I was saying, though I can _understand _why you did this, that doesn't change the fact that you put not only yourself in danger, but Piper and Stork as well. Your actions could have gotten them both killed! Is that what you wanted?"

"N-no..."

"If you are going to be king someday, you need to start _thinking._"

Aerrow flinched at the hardness in his father's voice, but he didn't dare interrupt. "Do you have _any _idea how scared I was when Stork told me what'd happened?"

"What, Stork was the one who-?"

"Yes, and I'll never know how he manged to get home so fast, but I do know that if he hadn't, you'd be dead right now. Both of you. Aerrow, real lions don't go out of their way to make trouble. Real lions are only brave when they have to be. Real lions are only brave when the ones closest to them are in danger."

Aerrow thought for a minute, his father waiting patiently for a response. When he looked back at his father, there was a look of understanding on his face. "I get what you're saying. But, even real lions get scared, right? You said you were scared when Stork told you what'd happened." Leon nodded, and Aerrow smiled. "But never as scared as those dumb hyenas, right?"

Leon smirked. "You know why they were so scared? Because no one messes with the king!" Without warning, Leon scooped Aerrow up and gave him a noogie, laughing when his son protested and fought to escape his grip. The cub squirmed free and shook his head, growling at his father with a happy spark in his eyes. "Oh yeah, well I'm the future king!"

Father and son chased each other through the tall grass, laughing. Aerrow sprang at his father and they both tumbled to the ground, Leon laughing and Aerrow play-biting his father's ear. Leon rolled over to lay on his stomach, and Aerrow made himself comfortable atop his father's head.

"Dad? We're pals, right?"

"Right."

"And we're always gonna be pals, right?" Leon said nothing for a moment, then raised his head and stared at the stars that twinkled in the midnight sky. "Aerrow, I think it's time I told you the story your grandfather once told me. You see the stars? Well, every king that's ever ruled these lands, is up in the stars right now, looking down at us and watching over us."

"Really?" Aerrow looked up, searching the sky, expecting to see actual lions looking back at him, but all he saw were those twinkling little flecks of light in the sky.

"So, if you ever need advice, or feel scared or alone, just remember that they'll always be there for you. And so will I."

* * *

**And there you go.**

**Jk.**

**Someone asked me for more interaction between Cyclonis and Piper, so here it is.**

**

* * *

**

When Piper and Stork'd made it back to Aurora Rock, the first thing Piper wanted to do was run to her mother and apologize over and over and over again. But she couldn't. Stork had told her to go see Arygyn. Even though one could clearly see she was perfectly fine, the paranoid bird was too, well... paranoid to take 'no' for an answer. So, that was where she went.

Arygyn lived in a tree close to Aurora Rock so if one of lionesses ever got sick or was having problems giving birth, he could hop right over in no time. Which is why Stork sent her there by herself. She didn't mind, but maybe to a more omniscient being, that may not have been a good idea.

"Back from the graveyard, are we?"

Piper looked up and saw a familiar face. _It's that lioness we saw this morning... Cyclonis, I think. Isn't she the one who sent the snakes to get us? _Piper turned as Cyclonis stepped closer, an amused expression on her face. "From your state of being, I'd say you won't be needing another trip like that for a while." Piper looked down at her disheveled appearance, and was almost embarrassed. Then she remembered how tired she was, and found that she didn't really care.

With a frown she padded around Cyclonis and continued on to Arygyn's. Cyclonis followed, her longer legs easily allowing her to get herself between the young cub and the direction she wanted to go. Seeing Piper's irritated expression, she smirked. "Don't worry. You wont be that size forever. Come to my den, I want to talk to you."

"But Stork told me to-"

"The only reason that irritating ball of paranoid feathers told you to get yourself checked for injuries that aren't there is that His and Her Majesties would feed him to the crocodiles if anything happened to you." Piper frowned. Why'd they do that for her? She was Dove's daughter, not theirs! It's not like she was next in line to rule the Atmos! She said so to the lioness barring her path, who feigned a look of mock surprise.

"You mean, they never told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Why my dear," Cyclonis stood up and circled Piper who, despite the growing suspicion in her gut stayed sitting, "You mean to tell me they never told you," she stopped when she was directly behind the young cub and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "That you are Aerrow's betrothed?"

"_WHAT?!?"_

Cyclonis smirked and pushed the cub in the direction of her den. "Come. We have much to talk about."

* * *

The eerie, steaming caves hidden away in the depths of the elephant graveyards were truly a place fit for the lowest of the low. An odd, unexplainable green glow was the only light source, and the air was thick and damp thanks to the unstable geysers that littered the cave floor. Rocks, large and small, were all over the place, as if some lumbering giant had left his child there to play while he went off and did whatever it is that giants do.

A sharp, ear-splitting cackle sounded in the air. Three hyenas, all bristling and bruised, mulled over their defeat in their heads.

"Damn that Leon, I' won't be able to sit for a week." Carver eyed the sizable claw marks that had torn the fur from his backside and when he tried easing himself down to the ground. Snipe, who sat beside him, completely unmoved by his own wounds, sat there cackling and cackling away. Carver snarled at him but made no move to shut him up; any quick movement and his butt surely wouldn't thank him for it.

"Yes well, what do you expect? We're at the bottom of the food chain, the lions are at the top. That's how it's always been. Even though those glorified hairballs don't deserve such a position."

"Ugh, I know. They're the worst. Hairy, smelly, greedy, and man are they ugly."

"Watch your tongue, scavengers." All three hyenas turned and their tails instinctively lowered when they saw the Dark Ace glaring down at them. Seated atop a high ledge, his red eyes glared down at them with distaste and partially-hidden fury. "There are those who would kill your kind without a second thought for saying such things." All three bowed their heads for a moment, then loosened back up when they sensed the Dark Ace's anger pass.

"So... what's for dinner?" Ravess wanted to bite Carver for being so blunt; the Dark Ace was obviously displeased with them and he throws caution to the wind and just flat out asks if they were going to get rewarded for failing!

The Dark Ace rolled his eyes and growled something under his breath, but did reach back and present a very fresh zebra haunch. The hyenas below him whined with anticipation when he let it dangle from his paw, so far from their reach.

"You really don't deserve this," he said, "I practically gift-wrapped those two brats for you, and you didn't even manage as much as a scratch on either of them. Instead, I see they've scratched _you._" Ravess went red under her fur as the other two glanced at the scratches on her cheek, but soon all three were digging into the haunch that the Dark Ace had dropped after another roll of his eyes, hide and all.

"And you know," Ravess swallowed a mouthful of zebra vefore continuing, "It's not like they were alone. You saw what happened. I'm sure even you were surprised when you're brother charged in." The Dark Ace snarled and leaped down from his ledge, Ravess, having realized she'd said the wrong thing, dropped onto her belly and whined, while the other two did the same.

"That high-and-mighty _king _is _not_ my brother, he's no more than a muscle-headed fool who got lucky, and you'd do well to remember that! _Now get out of my sight!_" The three hyenas whined once more before scampering away.

The Dark Ace's eyes glistened with fury as he lashed his tail and scraped his claws against the steamy, glistening stone floor.

_"He_ _is _not_ my brother..."_

_

* * *

_

**Kay, Chapter whatever-chapter-this-is, done. Now go do something productive. Like leave me a review ;)**

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

_One month has passed since Aerrow and Piper's fiasco in the elephant graveyards. Both are now bigger, stronger, and smarter than they had been. King Leon decided it was time Aerrow learned the basics of ruling: politics and fighting. Aerrow found the latter to be far more interesting, and was soon a capable scuffler. His father has taught him many tricks and techniques, and he is now easily the strongest cub on Aurora Rock. Piper has also been learning, though not from an approved teacher. Cyclonis has taken the young cub under her wing, teaching her the basics of hunting, fighting, and and strategy. She has also told Piper many things that the King and Queen never told her, such as her engagement to Aerrow, and many other interesting things. Of course, Piper hasn't told anyone about this, not even her adoptive mother, Dove._

_

* * *

_

**Bone Canyon**

Far in the Western territories of the Atmos the sun shone unforgivingly. The foliage of the area struggled to stay green, and found it very hard what with the severe lack of rain in the area. Grass was tough, brown, and brittle; the trees were gnarled and lacking in leaves. Usually. However, it was the rainy season, and the foliage thrived. Green grass grew

A herd of wildebeest were making the most of the situation, and spent their time grazing in a lush field overlooking Bone Canyon.

Bone Canyon was without a doubt the driest place in the Atmos. It was like a white, puckered scar on a very tan arm. The rocks that made up the canyon had been sun-bleached after years of relentless UV treatment. The trees that grew were thin and unhealthy-looking, offering little or no shade, even during the rainy season. They never received nourishment, for canyon was never wet, it was always bone-dry. Any rain that fell sizzled against the hot rocks and was lost in the many cracks and caves that lay beneath the canyon.

Aerrow's paws hurt as he danced along beside his Uncle, constantly shifting paws as he tried to keep the sensitive pads from burning on the hot stone. Ace, with his dark pads, was able to ignore the heat as he steered Aerrow to a small pile of rocks sitting beneath a small tree.

"Uncle Ace, why did you drag me out here again?"

"This is the third time you've asked me and me answer hasn't changed. Your father wanted me to bring you here. He was a surprise for you or something. Some sort of battle training, he said."

Aerrow's ears perked when he saw that the tree was giving of a bit of shade. He ran to the rock, jumped up, and sighed when his pads felt the cooler stone. He looked back up at his Uncle, who merely raised a brow before turning back in the direction they'd came. "Wait here, I'll be back with him soon. Oh! Before I forget..." The Dark Ace looked back and smirked, "You may want work on your roar, little king. A lion isn't a lion without a roar."

Aerrow snapped up and stared angrily at his uncle's retreating figure. _'Little king?' _The cub shifted his stare to his paws and frowned. _'I'm not a lion... if my roar isn't good enough? But... if I'm not a lion, what am I?'_ Aerrow snorted and stuck his nose in the air.

"But I _am _a lion, so I guess my roar doesn't _need _work."

No one was around to agree with him.

* * *

Let's focus in on the wildebeest.

Grazing all day on the lush grass had lulled them into a false sense of security; they were unsuspecting and rather vulnerable. They didn't seem to realize this, they just went on grazing.

They didn't even realize they were being watched. By hungry hyenas no less.

"Snipe, stop salivating. I've already told you you can't eat them." Ravess glared at her little brother, who merely whimpered and looked at her stupidly, a trail of drool hanging from his mouth. Carver glared at the two, thumping his tail agitatedly against the ground. He wanted to get their plan under way, he was getting impatient. They'd been forced to stare hungrily at these dumb wildebeest, their stomachs growling, while they waited for the Dark Ace to give them the signal.

When he did, they scare the dumb creatures into stampeding, and if they were lucky then-

A dark, familiar smell hit Carver's nose. He looked up and smirked. The Dark Ace was there, standing his designated place, signaling for them to begin.

"Time to go, guys." Ravess and Snipe stopped their bickering and followed his gaze. When they saw the dark-maned lion glaring down at them, they immediately sobered and rose to join Carver. The trio stalked forward, and crept in among the herd. They split up, fanning out...

And the plan was in motion.

The Dark Ace watched the dumb creatures erupt into chaos as snarls and barks sprang up around them, and with a smirk, he set off to do his own part.

He only hoped the stupid scrap of a lion had stayed put.

* * *

"...Little roar. Puh."

Aerrow frowned at nothing in particular. He couldn't help being young. His father, King of Beasts .?docid=16006865imself, said that a lions roar doesn't fully develop until he hits a certain age. _'I'm just obviously not at my _certain age_ yet.'_

A chameleon sliding down off a tree branch and onto his rock brought him out of his thoughts. He stared at it as it lumbered down the rock and, on a whim, roared at it halfheartedly. The chameleon didn't so much blink (chameleons don't actually blink, but our future king doesn't know that...). Irritated, the cub tried again. Still, the chameleon seemed unaffected.

Angry now, the cub leaped down from his rock and approached the reptile from behind. Taking a deep breath, the cub roared as loud as he could.

This time, the chameleon started and scampered away as the sound, rather impressive in Aerrow's ears, reverberated around the canyon. Thoroughly pleased, he turned to go back to his rock, but something made him stop. A rumbling reached his ears, and his paws were trembling. He frowned and looked down. It wasn't his paws that were trembling... it was the very ground he stood on. The ground was shaking. _Why was the ground shaking?_

Aerrow looked up, and his heart flew up into his throat.

A stampede was coming. He didn't know how he knew that, but he knew. Instinct maybe. And when the first few wildebeest began charging down into the canyon, his instinct was confirmed.

Terror was clear on Aerrow's face as more and more of the beasts began tumbling down, there were hundreds, _thousands_ of them, all kicking up a smoke that was so big and blinding that all of the Atmos could probably see it. The wildebeest thundered along, drowning out all other noise.

Aerrow turned, and ran for his life.

* * *

Carver, Ravess, and Snipe were having the time of their lives. They ran along at the back of the herd, snarling and nipping at heels as they herded the panicked creatures down into the canyon. Carver especially was in a good mood. The thought of aiding in the overthrow of the kingdom was simply delicious in his eyes. He'd resented the lions for so long, resented them for being in charge, and resenting them for forcing hyenas to the bottom of the food chain.

Now he was getting back at them. Now he was getting his revenge. Soon, they'd be at the top of the food chain, and no one would ever call a hyena a 'mangy poacher' again.

He'd make sure of it.

The trio forced the few remaining stragglers down after their brothers and sisters, and stood back to survey their work. They could single out the King's brat, a golden fleck running to save his skin just ahead of the pack.

But he couldn't keep it up for long, even now the faster of the beasts were overtaking him. He would soon be lost among a sea of hooves and dust.

Carver smiled and sat down to watch.

* * *

**Aurora Rock**

Stork and King Leon had just settled an argument between the cheetahs and the leopards and were heading home when Stork noticed something.

"Sire... the herd is moving." King Leon stopped short, and looked back over his shoulder. A column of dust was rising up from Bone Canyon, so large it could only signify a large group of animals moving at a fast pace. Stork was right.

Leon's brows knit together and he frowned. "That's odd... the rainy season's not over yet... they always stay near the canyons until-"

"Leon!"

Te Dark Ace was clamoring up beind them, clearly out of breath. "There's a stampede," he panted, "In the gorge." Here he stopped to catch his breath.

"Aerrow's down there!"

Horror was written all over the king's face as he turned around and started in the direction of the canyon, Stork close behind and the Dark Ace charging after them.

None were aware of a certain lioness watching them.

* * *

**Bone Canyon**

Lost among the thousands of hooves thundering around him, Aerrow darted around, looking for a way out. The dust was so thick it was hurting his eyes and if he hadn't been so worried about getting away he would have been coughing up a lung.

A dead tree loomed up ahead and he made for it, jumping up catching a hold with his claws. He hung for dear life as the chaos continued beneath him. He prayed for it to stop. He screwed his eyes shut and whimpered as the tree trembled and he dug in with his claws. He tried to drown the noise out and just focus on holding onto the tree, but it was just _too_ loud.

Above the whole thing, Stork flew, his eyes narrowed in search of the young cub. He'd flown ahead of the king and his brother when the canyon had come into view, eager to see if the future king was alright.

He squinted when he saw a flask of gold and gasped when that flash turned out to be Aerrow. The bird folded his wings and dove down. Aerrow's eyes widened when he saw Stork, but their gaze broke when the tree he was clutching trembled violently.

"Aerrow! Hang on! If you fall there's no way you'll make it!"

"Gee, _thanks_ Stork!"

"I'll go get your father, assuming he hasn't tripped on the way down and broken something, but if that's the case I'll get the Dark Ace! Oh dear god, please be alright, sire!" Stork flew away and if the circumstances had been different Aerrow surely would have rolled his eyes. However, he was dangling from a brittle tree branch above stampeding wildebeest, so he didn't.

Leon and Ace leaped down onto a ledge out of reach of the chaos, and were met by a frazzled Stork. "Oh, sire, thank goodness your alright! I was afraid I'd have to rely on- Oh! Never mind! Aerrow's down there! On that tree!"

When Leon saw his son he didn't hesitate, he jumped right into the stampede, causing smaller wildebeest to trip over themselves as he stepped into their paths. He kept his eyes trained on Aerrow's form, so small among the insanity around him. He tried dodging the many thick bodies hurtling past him, and nearly succeeded, but one especially large wildebeest caught him in the leg and he went down.

Coughing and blinking dust from his eyes, Leon's head shot up when Aerrow screamed. A wildebeest had run blindly right through the tree Aerrow was holding, snapping it clean in half and sending the small cub flying through the air.

Aerrow was truly afraid when he realized there was nothing between him and death by trampling except ten feet of dusty air. Gravity forced him down into the stampede, and he screamed, but that did nothing to help. He was falling, and no on was going to save him.

Or so he thought.

Leon forced himself to his feet, despite the pain in his leg, and sprang into the air. He caught Aerrow in his mouth and as soon as his feet hit the ground he was off. He saw a ledge that looked saw and out of reach of the stampede and ran for it.

The Dark Ace frowned when he saw his brother save the brat, and eyed Stork, who had perched on the edge of the rock, watching with obvious panic in his eyes. The dark lion smirked and stalked up behind the bird, who heard his approach and turned to look at him. "Ace?"

"Sorry bird, but I need you out of the way so I can deal with the situation properly. Nothing personal." And with that, the Dark Ace smacked Stork so hard he hit the ground with a smack, and as he laid there out cold, the Dark Ace went walked along a path overlooking the canyon, following his brother's progress through the stampede.

Leon had again been met by another wildebeest, and the blow was enough to dislodge Aerrow from the king's mouth. The cub went flying and landed ungracefully on the ground. He looked up and saw the oncoming wildebeest, tried to get up, but found that his legs wouldn't listen.

He heard his father coming and turned to see him diving beneath a wildebeest's belly to get to him. The king snatched him and this time, made it to the ledge. He deposited Aerrow on the ground but had no time to climb up himself; an oncoming wildebeest hit hi with enough force to drag him down into the stampede, and the king disappeared into the dust.

"_DAD!!!_"

Aerrow frantically looked through the crowd, trying to spot his father. Seconds that felt like years passed, and the king's fiery red mane nor his golden pelt revealed themselves within the chaos.

Suddenly, King Leon emerged from the stampede, leaping up to catch hold of the side-wall of the canyon. Relief showed on Aerrow's face and he nearly called out, but when his father slipped and nearly lost his grip, he decided not to. He turned and saw a path that looked like it led to the top of the canyon, so he took it and prayed his Uncle Ace was hear to help his father.

The Dark Ace _was_ here, but not to help.

Just the opposite.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" King Leon looked up and saw his brother, the Dark Ace, looking down on him with an unreadable expression.

"Brother, help me! I can't hang on for much longer!" The Dark Ace smiled, but did nothing. Leon scrabbled at the rocks, trying to find a proper foothold so he could hoist himself up, but found none. His claws were tearing, they wouldn't last long, and the pain in his leg had amplified so much that it was hard to stay focused.

Leon bellowed in pain when Ace grabbed his fronts paws, claws unsheathed, keeping him from falling but not helping him up either. Confusion lined the king's face while disdain showed on his brother's.

"Brother? Hm. I don't know anyone like that. I don't have a brother... at least not one I'm proud to admit too."

"Ace what are you saying?" The Dark Ace snarled and dug his claws in deeper, enjoying the pain etched on the king's face.

"You certainly don't see me as your brother. You only acknowledged me when it was profitable for you. When that wasn't the case, you acted like I didn't exist. Especially when Father chose you to be the next king. As far as I'm concerned, we weren't related."

The look in the Dark Ace's eyes scared Leon so much that he almost didn't say anything. Almost.

"...W-what do you mean... 'weren't'?"

The Dark Ace smiled and flung the king from the ledge, and no one was going to save him. No one. No one could save him, he was falling. The wildebeest still stampeded below him, unaware that they would from that day on be murderers.

The king screamed as he fell.

And Aerrow screamed as he watched his father fall.

And Piper would have screamed as well, had she been with Cyclonis, who had _seen the whole thing._


End file.
